ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his popular defence minister Yoav Gallant in a surprise announcement.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza, although Netanyahu had avoided sacking his rival.
Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
READ MORE: More than 100 Scottish cultural organisations join boycott of Israel
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said.
“Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
The announcement came as Israel is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
In the early days of the war in Gaza, Israel’s leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas’s October 7 attack last year.
But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged.
While Netanyahu (below) has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the militant group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life’s mission.”
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, defence secretary Lloyd Austin.
READ MORE: Women and children among several killed in fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to sack Gallant in March last year sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu.
He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday’s announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by foreign minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military.
Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals.
In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy – our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel